newsletter-1 - Serenity Blenheim Retirement Living

INFORMAT IO N, NE WS A N D U P DAT E S
Fall Edition
2014
Retirement
Retirement
Homes
Regulatory
Authority
Ontario is taking strong action to protect its
most vulnerable seniors living in retirement
homes and ensure families have peace of
mind that their loved ones are able to live with
dignity and respect.
From The Administrator
Dear Families,
As the Owner/Operator of Serenity Blenheim Independent Living, I have continued to focus
on suggestions on improvements that matter to you and your loved one. Since taking over on
September 10, 2013, we have made several improvements to the home including:
1. Visitor Sig In/Sign Out – Residents, family members
and visitors are to sign in/sign out at the entrance to the
building. This has been put in place so that incase of an
emergency or fire, we can know who is not in the building
or who may be visiting in the building. The Sign In/ Sign out
book also assists maintaining the security of people going
through the building.
2. Activities and Entertainment – We have scheduled
entertainment every Friday for Residents. On Mondays and
Wednesday we have Victorian Order Of Nurses complete
a physiotherapy class from 10:00 – 11:00am. On Tuesday
and Thursdays our Personal Support Workers will hold an
activity for residents from 2:00 – 3:00 including: arts/crafts,
board games, cards, putting contests and bingo. If you
have any suggestions and/or ideas, please let me know.
Should you wish to express your talent and/or craft, do not
hesitate to contact me.
3. Suggestion/Comment Box – There is a suggestion/
comment box at the front desk where the Sign In/Sign
Out book is located. If you have a suggestion, comments
or concern and would like to remain anonymous, please
complete the comment card and place in the box. I will
make sure to address as soon as possible
4. Care Home Information Package (CHIP) – We have
updated and developed a CHIP as per the Retirement
Homes Regulatory Authority Requirements. It is located at
the front lobby of the home.
5. Resident Handbook - We have updated and developed
a Resident Handbook as per the Retirement Homes
Regulatory Authority Requirements.
6. Policies and Procedures – We have developed policies
and procedures for each department as per the Retirement
Homes Regulatory Authority Requirements (RHRA).
..continued on next page
As of April 2012, the Retirement Homes
Regulatory Authority, required all retirement
homes to apply for a license in order to operate
in Ontario. Greater protections for seniors
include:
• A Residents’ Bill of Rights, which must be
posted in every licensed retirement home
• Retirement home operators’ duty to protect
residents from abuse and neglect
• Staff training on abuse, fire prevention and
safety and whistle blowing protections
In order to allow retirement homes time to
comply with the new regulations, further
protections for seniors will come into force
in phases up to January 1, 2014. We have
been hard at work developing policies
and procedures, training our team and
upgrading our home in an effort to exceed
the expectations that retirement homes are
required to meet.
Further to licensing, our most recent visit from
the RHRA occurred in April 2014. A few items
were identified to need further work. Should
you be interested in knowing more, please feel
free to read the report that is publicly posted
on their website or posted in our home. Should
you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me.
Sereneity Blenheim Retirement Living - Fall 2014 Newsletter - Page 2
7. Resident Rights – Extensive training has been done
on Resident Rights as per Bill 140. There is also a poster
indicating resident rights that all staff/employees and
myself must adhere to. It is located next to my office
door.
8. Security Cameras – You may have noticed that we
have added a security system in the common areas of
the building. Our home is open to the public and should
there be any unforeseen incident, the security cameras
will help to us to problem solve any suspicious behavior.
10. Marketing – If you have not already heard, we have
voice adds by three of our very own residents featured
on Blackburn Radio. We have updated our website
at www.blenheimindependentliving.com and are in
the process of developing our newsletter and tri-fold
brochures.
11. Events – Serenity Blenheim Independent Living
is registered to attend all four Senior Fairs in Chatham
Kent. This will allow us to market and share information
to others who may be interested in our home and the
services we have to offer.
9. Fire Department Monitoring - The fire alarm system
is monitored by the local fire department. We have also
hard wired 911 individual call bells to heat detectors for
added safety.
The focus for the remainder of 2014 and 2015
will include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Installation of a Sprinkler System – All Retirement
Homes in Ontario must have a sprinkler system
installed no later than 2017. We have taken a
proactive approach to install them this year,
construction beginning August 18, 2014 in an effort
to make sure our residents are safe.
Installation of new outdoor signage. There will be
a new permanent outdoor signage being installed
outside of the property by the end of this year.
Installation of electric doors and keypad entrance
and exits. Estimated for 2015.
Upgrade the nurse call bell system to allow voice
two way communication between the care giver
and resident. Estimated for 2015.
Develop and update resident’s charts – We will be
calling all families in the near future to update any
information that we may be required to collect.
There may also be documentation that may need
to be signed and your presence may be requested
for this. If you are the designated Power of Attorney
(POA) for Care or Power of Attorney (POA) for
Finances, it is important that we have a copy of
this on file. Confidentiality and Personal Health
Information Laws require that we only divulge
medical information to the designated Power of
Attorney. (POA)
Continue to build on Policies and Procedures for our
staff, residents and families.
Invest in education for our employees that will allow
increased confidence and provide knowledge to
base decisions on
Develop Residents Council – I will be calling on
residents to participate in a resident’s council. This
formal committee will operate under the Ontario
Resident Council Association guidelines and will
assist in making improvements, receiving feedback,
resolving concerns etc.
Obtain and partner with a physician who can attend
the home to see our residents, thus minimizing
unnecessary travel to clinics.
10. Focus on a “customer service” approach. I strongly
believe that “we are in the resident’s home.” We are
to act and behave in a respectable manner, as we
are their “guests.” This means knocking on resident
doors before entering. The way we behave and act
reflects on the home.
9.
I have made a promise to be available; therefore, all
families, residents and visitors have my personal cell
phone (519-859-0133). This is one of the perks to a small
home and allows me to be accessible to you at anytime of
the day, as well as on weekends and after hours.
While our resident population is increasing and multiple
co-morbidities may develop over time, it is my intention
to be able to care for our residents as long as possible.
Please read more about our Personal Support Worker
Packages available to allow for a longer stay and to
maintain comfort, dignity and independence at the home.
Throughout the summer, I have spent evenings and
weekends trying to connect with families. I welcome
opportunities to further connect with our community
and each individual loved one.
As always, thank you for the privilege of allowing me
to care for your loved one. Please do not hesitate to
contact me at the retirement home at 519-676-4489,
me cell phone at 519-859-0133 or by email: info@
blenheimindependentliving.com if you have any
questions, need assistance, or would like to share ideas.
Sincerely,
Rahim Charania, RN, BScN, CHCA, CHE
In this issue
1IMPROVEMENTS
2
2014 & BEYOND
3
RED CROSS CARE PARTNERS & CCAC
4
FROM INDEPENDENT TO RETIREMENT
5
THE DISNEY APPROACH
CONTACT INFO
SERENITY BLENHEIM RETIREMENT LIVING
OFFICE
84 Marlborough ST N, Blenheim Ontario, N0P 1A0
• Office (519) 676-4489
• Fax: (519) 676-0300
• Cell (519) 859-0133
EMAIL: [email protected]
Sereneity Blenheim Retirement Living - Fall 2014 Newsletter - Page 3
Red Cross Care Partners and CCAC
Residents qualify for personal support under
Continuing Care Access Center (CCAC) under the
Home at Last program initiated by the Ministry
of Health and Long Term Care. As Serenity
Blenheim Independent Living is your home,
you may be eligible for assistance with bathing,
laundry, housekeeping and/or personal support,
if you are not already under the program. Power
of Attorneys (POA) and/or Substitute Decision
Makers (SDM) are the only ones that can call CCAC
– Intake at 519-436-2222 should you require any
further information or request a assessment to see
what you may qualify for.
If you are on the program, please give CCAC
consent for myself to be able to inquire about the
frequency of care you or your loved one may be
receiving. I would also appreciate that Serenity
Blenheim Independent Living be the first point
of contact to know that RCCP will not be able to
attend to help our residents with their routines so
our team can step in and assist where necessary.
Red Cross Care Partners is the contracted provider
by CCAC to provide personal support services.
RCCP is completely independent of Serenity
Blenheim Independent Living, however in an effort
to maintain continuity in care and be involved in
your care, should there be a gap in service, we can
step in and call the appropriate RCCP schedulers
to follow up and ensure no missed visits occur. This
will alleviate any burden on you from attending
the home when RCCP is not able to attend.
RCCP may attend to provide help between 6am
and 12 noon which is considered the “morning”
period or 6pm to 10pm which is considered the
“evening” period. The RCCP staff will attend for
a period of 15-30 minutes, as their visit is task
focused and not resident focused, where one
individual will assist other residents during the
same visit.
In conclusion, all care providers should be held
accountable and I strongly feel that it is unfair for
a care provider not to show up, no one be notified
that there will be no care provider to assist and you
be asked to fulfill that role.
From Independent Living to Retirement Living
Our residents are growing older. Previously,
residents who require more care and exhaust
personal support hours provided by CCAC would
then be assessed for Long Term (LTC) Care or a
Nursing Home. To ask a resident who is vulnerable
with their health to move at such a time in their life
can only put more stress on you and your family
members.
It is unfair and ask a resident to void or be
toileted at a certain time. To only be turned
twice in a day should they be bed ridden. Have
limited motivation to attend programs. It is these
important tasks that our PSW’s will attend to due
to the nature of the visiting RCCP personal staff.
After speaking with families and seeing this
happen time and time again, we have taken a new
and exciting approach to doing business. I have
hired our own personal support workers (PSW)to
assist residents with their care needs, answer call
bells and attend to their every request. This service
would be in addition to the CCAC and RCCP
services being provided.
However, there will be a cost to these extra-added
services. I may contact you should your loved one
be requiring or would benefit from this service.
Please see the package that we have created.
So when would it be time to move my loved
one to a Nursing Home? With the assistance of
community health teams and specialized nurses
that are trained in end of life care, residents can
live their final days at Serenity, in the comfort of
their own home. Please feel free to speak with me
should you have any questions.
Care Package
Includes the following care
services in addition to those care
services described in the Plan
above.
• assistance with bathing
• ambulatory assistance
• dressing assistance
• assistance with personal hygiene
• toileting
• progress notes
• increased family communication
• hourly monitoring
• transferring to and from bed
• hourly turning
Monthly charge
$600.00
Second Person
Charge $300.00
Sereneity Blenheim Retirement Living - Fall 2014 Newsletter - Page 4
Customer Service, the Disney Approach
In March of 2014, I visited the Disney University.
I am always on the look out as to how we can
better our retirement home, seeking new
ideas, and evaluating how other organizations
do business. I was amazed at the cleanliness,
customer service, the way employees speak to
the guest and how they treat each other.
I have adopted the Disney approach to care and
will be sharing as well as educating our team. The
secret to Disney’s success isn’t magic pixie dust;
It’s a well-trained, enthusiastic and motivated
work force. It’s a secret that Walt Disney himself
realized years ago. “You can dream, create,
design and build the most wonderful place in
the world--but it requires people to make the
dream a reality,” he said.
That is why feedback is of critical importance.
I will be sending you a survey in October 2014
to rate our home in several areas. The home has
been in business for 8 years, where this truly has
been my first year at the home. The feedback
will give me the direction to focus my attention
and how to make the home the most wonderful
place to live.
As in every other service business, quality is
critical to the success. We depend on word of
mouth referrals and positive feedback. Because
70 percent of our residents are referrals the
quality of service they receive can literally make
or break our home and the reputation we have
built.
“Disney defines quality as attention to detail
and exceeding guest expectations,” says Jim
Cunningham, program manager, business
programs at the Disney Institute. It is my vision to
make sure that each and every encounter with
our staff and myself is a positive one.